Month: October 2018

It’s been a crazy, hectic, fun day between work and the Halloween festivities, but wanted to hop on and say a quick Happy Halloween to all my readers.

This is probably my most favorite holiday of all time because when else can you dress up and knock on strangers doors and get candy?

It’s like the Disney version of The Purge!

Anyways, I went over to my friends house with the kids and we took them trick or treating, ate pizza, drank wine and binged on candy.

It was literally the perfect night! See for yourself!

Costume for school: Logan as Goku from Dragonball Z and Sofia as Cheryl from RiverdaleSofia with her friends

The Family Pic: Sofia as a witch, Logan as Spider-Man and Me as a Scarecrow Up close of my makeup. I think I did good for the 30 minutes I had to get ready after workNeighborhood DecorationsMore DecorationsFound this really old tree and it was the perfect creepy backgroundKids dancing to Just Dance Halloween songsThe Lion and ScarecrowThe whole crew of kids

I know I am, once again, late to the game on this palette, but it’s new to me, so I thought I would give you a fresh perspective after the hype has died down. Also, I know that Juvia’s is getting ready to drop the Warrior 2 soon, so maybe this may help your decision as I know it’s built to be a sort of companion palette.

This is the second palette I have purchased from Juvia’s and much like the Festival, I am so very drawn by the aesthetics of this brand. I’m about as white of a girl as you can get, but something about the tribal artwork with the three gorgeous Black women on the front (who give me total Okoye vibes from Black Panther) calls to me.

The goddess Danai Gurira

I LOVE it!

Packaging aside, I also love the Juvia’s Place formula overall. It’s pigmented, creamy and the shimmers are spectacular. I’ve found that you can use them with a brush or your finger and they are both phenomenal. The mattes are quality mattes, not dusty and certainly hold up well throughout the day, which I found to be the same with this palette.

The Warrior Palette ($20) is also a very neutral palette, which is exactly was drew me to it. As a green eyed girl, warm browns and coppers are my go to basics for when I want an easy, yet POW look. The two matte shades, Mino and Kano, were the ones that drew me in the most. Kano especially, since I love to use caramel colors like that on the crease.

Kano on the crease, Mino in outer V and Amina on lid.

However, I found out that Kano has a yellow undertone, that on my skin color shows much more predominantly than I wanted. I’m not mad at it as is nice considering that I don’t have a color currently in my collection like that, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Left to right in Palette: Amina, India, Mino, Ahosi, Moreno

Mino is actually really deep and chocolatey, which helps me deepen Kano to where I want it.

Left to right in Palette: Kano, Dahomey, Bakwa, Benin

I have the same issues with some of the shimmers. In the pan, some look like they will lean more toward a champagne shimmer, like Amina and Moremi, but they, once again, pick up more golden. I find that I have to do test swipes on my wrist before digging into a shade to make sure that it will go with the look I have in mind.

Are these deterrents? Maybe for girls with my skin tone and color as you might have the same issues as me, but I use this palette quite frequently and really enjoy it. However, if you are in the market for a new neutral palette, I think you might want to keep that in mind.

Anyone else have the same thoughts as me on the Warrior Palette? If so, you know where to drop your comments.

If you read my earlier post this week, you would have seen me hypothesizing on Besame’s new collection and I was totally convinced that it was going to be Cinderella.

Well, I was wrong, but not disappointed in the least.

Honestly, I love that Besame took a step back from the Disney princesses and went with another very much loved character. Actually, the mermaids had like a 10 minute role in the film, yet they were so memorable because they were like the Mean Girls of Neverland.

I mean they did want to drown poor Wendy!

That doesn’t take anything away from this collection and quite frankly, I already have my calendar marked for the November 5 release because, friends, I’m getting a few things!

And by a few, I mean like 90%.

First off, you know I never say no to an eye palette and this one is so pretty and fresh. I love both the Snow White and Agent Carter palettes, but they were darker in tone and this one is so crisp and light. I love it!

I will most definitely pick up the bronzer and highlighter, because…. seashells? I am a Florida girl after all.

I won’t pick up all 3 lipsticks, but definitely one of the shades, most likely the pinky toned one in the pic above from Trendmood. I also will skip the perfume, as though I’m sure the bottle is gorgeous (is it the mermaid?), I’m very sensitive to certain scents and I always need to smell perfume before I buy it.

I am so very excited for this collection and freaking Besame has my credit card practically on auto payments as it is, so it’s no brainer for me.

Well, I did get one contour in the set, so not all are blushes, but they are are truly beautiful. I also did end up giving some of the pans to my friends to try out, so I couldn’t swatch them all for you, but I believe them to be the same in quality (other wise, I would not have given them away 😉).

Creamy to the touch, when you swirl your finger in the pan, you are kind of taken aback by how smooth it is because I expected something waxier as my experience with previous cream blushes always had me struggle a bit to get product out.

Not the case with these shades. I was easily able to get enough product from just one swirl to dot both cheeks and blend it in, which is nice because when you first put it on, you are like “Yowza! That’s pigmented!”.

Personally, I love a pigmented lipstick or shadow, but I kind of want a soft, natural blush. That’s ok, because they actually blend out really nice. You can use a brush or even a beauty sponge to work the product in, but I used my fingers and it was fine.

Ready Rouge Creme Blush in Coquette

The finishing effect is this soft natural flush of color, which is perfect for an everyday look.

I thought it would be nice to see if I can wear the shade Coquette as a lipstick as well, since I like the look of my cheeks and lips matching, but I believe that it requires a bit more wax to give it the lasting power we see in a cream lipstick.

If you want to pick up one the Ready Rouge Creme Cheek Colors to try for yourself, you can do so by heading over to the Ittse website. The pans will run you $10 each or you can pick up a quad for $38.

If you want to save 20% on your order, feel free to use my code BEAUTYSWATCHER. Keep in mind that I do make a slight commission if you buy any products.

Anyone else want to give their most favorite hardworking blush a shout-out? If so, do so in the comments below.

If you have been a long time reader of my blog, then you know I am a HUGE fan of Besame Cosmetics. I love their attention to detail and I really get wrapped up in the whole nostalgia of the brand.

I bought every last piece of the Agent Carter line and recently picked up some of the Snow White pieces that went on sale.

It’s funny because just last week I was wondering what Besame was up to. After they launched the Avengers Infinity War line, I really haven’t seen any major collections announced. Well, as usual the Universe picked up on my musings and was like, “Patience, my friend.”

This past weekend, I was checking my emails and I came across this one from Besame advertising their 1950’s Prom Party in the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, which if I didn’t live completely across the country, I would totally go, when I noticed in itty bitty writing ” for the launch of our newest Disney collection.”

Ohh…. Besame. You are so sneaky!! You thought I would miss that, didn’t you?

Of course, I’m trying to tie the theme to a Disney movie and automatically, I think of Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty since both came out in the 50’s.

However, today Besame dropped another hint when they posted on Instagram that they will be announcing their newest collection on Thursday. They didn’t give you too many hints, other than the post below with a bunch of bubbles floating around, but it was enough to get all Besame Beauties in a titter.

Some speculated that it was Ariel, but that wouldn’t align very well with their 1950’s prom theme. Besides The Little Mermaid came out in the 80’s. Then someone said that the bubbles could be a direct reference to the Sing Sweet Nightingale scene in the movie where Cinderella was mopping the floors while she sang and her step sisters were in the other room and I was “Bingo!”.

You see, this is why I like Besame. They don’t drop bombs, but rather little Easter eggs and I appreciate that they keep us engaged. They could have easily just put a picture of the glass slipper and have us all go into fits, but they were like “Yeah, we are going to make you work for this.”

Check back on Friday to see if my theory was right. Either way, I’ll probably buy it!

While we are on the subject of Disney Princesses, Besame is probably making some room for their new collection by putting their Snow White products on major sale, so if you didn’t pick up anything when it first launched, now is your chance. The two Snow White palettes are on sale for the next week and a half for only $10 each!

All you have to do is use code Shadow10 at checkout and you will be saving like $28. They also have their lip balm trio on sale for $8 if you use code Pies8. Just remember you can only use one code at a time.

I am affiliated with Besame, so you want to use my link, feel free to do so by clicking here. I do get a slight commission if you decide to purchase anything, so keep that in mind.

So who do you think the newest Disney collection will feature? Let me know in the comments below.

If you read my recent post on makeup brands everyone loves, but I don’t, I mentioned that Urban Decay was seriously slipping. A brand that I lived for and looked forward to all their releases, is now trying to compete with Colourpop’s weekly release schedule.

A good example of my theory is the Back Talk palette that came out this spring. The shades are completely up my alley with rich mauve and berry tones, which are actually quite perfect for fall. However, as much as I LOVE the colors, I hate how these shades perform, which is why it sat in my makeup cart collecting dust for about 4 months.

However, life is all about forgiving, so I decided to give this palette a second chance. We all tend to go into things with preconceived notions of how things will perform based on reviews we read or hear, so maybe now that the hype has died down, its time to come to my own final conclusion.

Yeah…no. Still not a fan.

The four cheek colors are BEAUTIFUL and actually perform great. Double Take is a creamy, soft pinky mauve that I would buy all on its own. Cheap Shot is a deep berry, really beautiful, I imagine, on darker skin tones. Low Key is a summery peach shade which I use as blush topper and Party Foul is a pink champagne highlighter that gives a lovely lit from within glow.

All the Cheek products are high quality. When you swatch them, they are creamy and smooth to the touch, which is the first thing you notice is missing with the eyeshadows.

The mattes are ok. BackTalk by far performs the best and has the most staying power. WTF completely faded away by the end of the day and 3 Sheets is so close to my skin tone, that I can’t tell what it did, but it’s a beautiful base on me.

The Mattes

The shimmers were the worst! Bare is similar to Party Foul in color, but no where near close in shine. Curve, Shade and 180 are more of a satin than shimmer and I’m not quite sure what is the best way to use them because I really want them to SHINE, but not even with setting spray.

The Shimmers

Attitude is by far the most shimmery of them all and the most pigmented. It’s a shimmery strawberry shade and lovely. You need to use a bit of setting spray to get it to its full potential, but even with that it fades pretty quickly.

Overall, the shadows are pretty disappointing, however, not as disappointing as the way this palette was structured. With this slim, removable mirror separating the cheek from the eyes, it’s the stupidest design. You can’t snap the palette shut without the magnetic mirror, but I always take out the mirror when using the palette because it so slim it’s useless to me, so on more than one occasion I lost track of the mirror under other stuff and couldn’t find it right away.

Double Take, Low Key and Party on the Cheeks. 3 Sheets, BackTalk, WTF and Bare on the eyes.

Urban Decay, let’s stick to a basic palette design. Honestly, I think most of us would appreciate it.

Back Talk was on sale in Sephora for $38 last time I checked, however, it’s so similar in tone to the Naked Cherry that maybe it’s worth investing in that for the eye shadows.

I was going to say that everyone hates, but that wasn’t the vibe I was going for and I don’t think anyone, including myself, hates a brand, they just prefer others.

Does that make sense?

Anyways, these are just some brands that I feel don’t get enough love on social media, but I think are pretty darn good.

Almay

I know. I know. Almay is kind of the red headed step sister of the makeup world. Always shoved all the way in the back of the drugstore makeup aisle alongside Neutrogena. They never really get any attention. Well, they really weren’t doing anything to make themselves noticed until recently when it looks like they rebranded.

Personally, I love their Shadow Squads and their Butter-kiss Lippies are so creamy. I own 4 of them and literally one is in each one of my favorite purses because they are moisturizing with a dash of quick color.

Also, their makeup wipes are completely underrated. They take off EVERYTHING!!

Besame Cosmetics

One of two brands that I am affiliated with at this time. I LOVE everything about Besame, but I feel like they are a niche brand.

Generally, people who have some sort of affinity for retro looks and styles seem to really favor this brand, but I love them for their all out commitment to the production of replicas and also because their products are really good. In an era when brands are coming out left and right with new products, I appreciate that Besame takes it sweet time to perfect a products.

If you haven’t tried Besame yet, I recommend starting off with one of their lipsticks. I love 1941 Victory Red, but 1946 Velvet Red is pretty popular. The are long lasting and SUPER pigmented. The square shaped tip of the lipstick takes some getting used to, but I work around that.

BH Cosmetics

So I know that a lot of people say they love this brand, but I just don’t hear enough hype around it and I don’t know why. I love BH! I think they have an excellent combination of quality and price and, also, like Besame aren’t releasing stuff left and right, which makes me think they are being conscience of whats going into their makeup.

I see a lot of hype around their brushes and their Festival palette was a real hit this spring/summer, but I’m a fan of their baked shadows. I LOVE the Supernova palette and use it all the time. The colors are metallic, pigmented and last all day. Also, they are really easy to apply with your fingers, so no brush necessary, which is great for those days you are rushing out the door.

For the price, it’s a win!!

Antonym Cosmetics

Ok, I would consider Antonym a small indie brand, but they have a pretty loyal following and for good reason. They are AWESOME! Not only are they certified organic, but they are headquartered in my very own hometown of Miami (extra brownie points for that).

They are are on the pricy side, but well worth it. Their baked blush in Peach is my go to blush of all time. I may stray here and there and use another one every so often, but always go back to my Peach. If you are you looking for good quality basics, then check out Antonym. You won’t regret it.

Ok, so take this post with a grain of salt because, as my friend, Karla, likes to say, “You do you, Boo!”.

Seriously, if you like any of the brands below, then more power to you. The world is a very diverse place and if 300 million people liked the same stuff, then it would be a pretty boring place to live.

With that being said, the brands below are just not my thing. I’m probably in the minority on all of them, but let me tell you why I just don’t gravitate towards them.

MAC

I have never been a MAC girl for various reasons. First off, I have yet to see a MAC salesperson who looks genuinely happy to see me there. Most of the time they looked overworked and annoyed. Also, I know that everyone raves about the lipsticks, but I always feel like they tug at my lips when I apply them, so I really don’t get the hype.

I also feel like I hear a lot of people talk about their tried and true MAC favorites, but I have not heard anyone RAVE about any new releases in a long time. MAC is just coasting these days.

Kylie Cosmetics

I’m going to keep this short. Why would I spend 3x the money on a palette or lip kit, when I can the get the same shit at Colourpop?

Sorry, Kylie. I think you are all hype.

Urban Decay

They release so damn much and it all looks the same. Seriously, everyone is going crazy about this Cherry Naked Palette, but it has the same tones as the Back Talk palette that came out in the spring. Which kind of sucked. I know because I own it and it’s a total let down.

Also, except for the Naked palettes, they always do the craziest packaging and I don’t like it. If I have to pull out the mirror or slide the palette out of some contraption, then I’m gone.

Tarte

Tarte has become the Claire’s of the makeup world with their cheesy packaging and non offensive color stories.

Seriously, every palette is neutral and they must have hired everyone Toys R Us let go when they closed down because everything is Princesses and Unicorns at their marketing department. They need to bring back the adults.

Out of all my subscriptions, I think I look forward to my Rocksbox the most. Why? Well it seems to trigger the most conversation.

You have no idea how many people stop and ask me where I get my pieces and when I tell them that it’s rented, they are like “What?”

And I’m all like ” Girl… renting is where it’s at!”

If you want to know more about how Rocksbox works, head on over to their site and see for yourself in their FAQ page. It’s super easy!

My current box was curated by none other than me. Yes, my stylist was able to get all three pieces from my wishlist and when I first checked out my preview (yes, I cheat), I was a little concerned.

Last month, my stylist was able to pull one wishlist item and the other two were her picks. Funny enough, I hated what I chose, but loved what she picked. So you could see why I was doubting my taste.

However, I’m totally giving myself pats on the back because I really like everything I picked.

Live, Love, Leo

I did this whole refresh of my Wish List a while back and added a few new pieces that popped up on their site like the Aster Stark “Strong” Pendant. My astrological sign is Leo, so it must have been around August that I added this to my list. It’s a very simple piece. Just a gold chain with an oval pendant showing a Lion on one side and when you flip it around, the word “Strong” is engraved on the back. I’m a firm believer that sometimes you need reminders in life and wearing one around your neck can work wonders on my you confidence.

The second piece I chose/received was the Ava Rose August Earrings. Ooh… these earrings give me feelings. They dangle and swing so sweetly, but are not noisy in any way and they have the nicest white stones studded along the bottom. I’ve worn these with my hair down and in a pony tail and I love them both ways. If I had one complaint is that they are a bit heavy.

The last piece are the Dusk Lyric Stacking Rings. They are sooo beautiful! Comprised of two thin gold bands with a row of druzy looking stones in green and pink, they are perfect companion to the Ava Rose earrings.

In fact, I’ve worn my entire set all at the same time. It’s that cohesive!!!

I should work for Rocksbox!!

I totally loved this months set and am not looking forward to sending anything back, so there is a possibility that some of these pieces might end up in my permanent collection.

If you would like to check out Rocksbox for yourself, feel free to use my referral code MARITZABFF39 and your first month is free. Full disclosure, I also get $25 for a future purchase, but I think we both win, right?

Honestly, whenever I look in the mirror and see dull looking skin, it doesn’t matter if I drank a gallon of water or slathered the most expensive moisturizer, nothing other than a nice scrub will give me the instant gratification that I need when I look in the mirror.

Personally, I exfoliate every other day. I don’t use particularly harsh scrubs so I think that with an every other day regimen that works well for me. Lately, I’ve been loving the L’Oréal Pure Sugar Scrub for smooth and glowy skin.

I believe the line comes with three other options, but at 41, it’s all about the J Lo skin because she has set the bar pretty high. Can you believe she is 49??

Anyways, I purchased my jar at Walmart and I believe I paid somewhere around $10 for it. I’ve had it for about 1.5 months and I still have about 1/4 left of product in my 1.7 oz jar. Not bad, in my opinion.

The main reason I like this scrub is because the sugar particles are fine enough to remove the dull skin without feeling like you face planted on concrete. I only have to use about a 1/2 teaspoon of product to work my entire face and neck as there is give to this scrub, probably do to the glycerin. This may not be possible if you decide to make you own scrub using brown sugar and olive oil, which I have done in the past.

Now the jar clearly says Pure Sugar in the front, but when looking at the ingredient list, there are a whole lot of other things listed there, including orange and yellow coloring, so I think it’s not exactly all real brown sugar in there.

It does smell nice and authentic though.

Looks like Self Tanner when you apply. Don’t be afraid it washes away!This is my most favorite place to exfoliate because I tend to rub that area when writing

The instructions recommend that you apply this product into clean skin with dry fingers, but I do suggest maybe dampen your hands a bit, if you don’t like the scrub to be too harsh. I wouldn’t recommend doing this is the shower or with overly wet hands as too much moisture breaks down the “sugar” particles quickly and you won’t exfoliate anything.

Nice and pink skin!

It also says that you can use this as a lip scrub, but I would skip. It doesn’t taste good. I would recommend any of the Lush lip scrubs if you want to exfoliate your lips. They taste divine!!!

Anyone else try the other scrubs from this line? If so let me know which you suggest.